Split - Day 3, 19th August 2015

Today it quite literally rained on our parade. We'd planned to spend the day walking around the old town and then hike up Marjan hill, followed by a dip in the sea at one of the beaches along the foot of the hill but, it has rained almost non-stop.

There was a brief lull so we ventured out to get our ferry ticket for Hvar Island tomorrow and then after sheltering from another downpour with a cup of tea, there was another brief break so we took our chances and headed up to the viewpoint on Marjan hill. From here you can see across the city to the mountains beyond and, looking out to sea, over to the island of Brac with Hvar in the further distance.

It showered on and off for the rest of the day, but was still warm enough for shorts and flip flops, so whilst it wasn't ideal, we still managed to mooch about the narrow streets of the old town. 

We discovered that Deocletian's palace is not a tourist attraction in the typical sense, where you pay to enter a very specific venue, but was in fact an integral part of the old town. You can wander in through any of the four gates and explore the passageways, coming across ancient roman ruins and 3500 year old sphinxes as you browse in the shops and check out the restaurant menus. 

The streets are very picturesque and clean, with warm pale stones, opening out onto airy squares. Bars, restaurants and attractive boutiques are interspersed among homes and every alleyway entices you to explore.

After some wet-weather programme essentials, cocktails, we headed back to our room for a rest and a chance to write, before we go out for dinner tonight. 

The forecast looks set to improve tomorrow and to remain sunny after that so we're not too disheartened. But even in the rain, Split is a very lovely city.